Automatic brake for fishing reels



Dec. 25, 1951 R. L. ALLEN 2,579,532

AUTOMATIC BRAKE FOR FISHING REELS Filed April 23, 1946 Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC BRAKE roamsmnc REELS' Robert L; Allen, Atlanta, Ga. Application April 23, 1946, Serial No. 664,333 6 Claims. (01. 24244.5)

The present invention relates to fishing reels, and more especially to improved brake means for such reels to prevent the reel from overrunning and the line from back-lashing during the casting operation.

Automatic brakes for fishing reels have heretofore been proposed and used to a limited extent, but have not been successful from a practical standpoint. The prior brakes were largely based on the same principle and utilized a spring to actuate the brake means so that when there is tension on the line, the brake is released, but when the line slacks, a braking force is applied to the line spool by the spring to stop or slow down the spool until the line is again under tension. Usually, the braking action is produced by a brake shoe which is forced against a drum or against a part of the line spool of the reel by the spring aforesaid. Release of the brake requires that sufiicient tension be applied to the line to counteract the force of the spring. Gn the other hand, in applying the brake, there is no braking effect until the brake shoe comes into contact with the brake drum or line spool, and any further slack in the line will have no effect on the braking force since this is controlled by the spring tension. In other words, the brake is either off or on, with no variation or-modulation of the braking effect. 'In all; cases, the greatest tension in the line must occur when the brake is released or in the off position since the spring force is transferred from the brake shoe to the release instrumentalities. This is-a distinct disadvantage since it decreases the casting range.

The present invention is based upon the same general principles above referred to insofar as the brake is applied when slack occurs in the line, and is released when the line is under tension, but the brake has been greatly improved to overcome the practical disadvantages and limitations of the prior fishing reel brakes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved automatic brake for fishing reels which is simple in construction and highly efficient in operation.

In attaining the foregoing primary objects, my invention resides in the provision of an improved automatic brake mechanism which includes 'a brake actuating arm or lever controlled by a spring which is so constructed and arranged as to cause the braking torque of thearm to increase as the brake is applied, and to reduce the torque to little or nothing when the brake arm is in the full off position. This has the advantage, during the casting operationgof requiring a very slight tension on the line to hold the brake in the off position, and at the same time, any slackening of the line causes the brake to be applied with sufficient force to stop the reel hearing 8 in the usual manner.

or slow it down quickly enough to prevent overrunning of the reel or back-lashing of the line.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic brake for fishing reels which is so constructed and arranged that when'the brake is applied, the braking force is much greater when the line is running out or paying off, than when the line is being rewound, thereby making it unnecessary to release the brake arm for the rewinding operation. In other words, the brake is partially self-energizing in the direction of rotation of the reel for unwinding or paying off the line, and has very little, if any, braking effect when the line is being rewound or retrieved.

Other and further objects and advantages of the-invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims. 5

In the drawing:

. Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a fishing reel having my improved automatic brake embodied therein, with portions of the reel frame or head broken away to more clearly show certain details of the brake mechanism;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line-2-2 of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary detail sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figuresof the drawing, wherein I generally denotes the reel frame which may be of any conventional construction. said frame being provided at the bottom thereof with the usual support designated 2 which is adapted-to be attached to the fishing pole or rod. As usual, the reel frame is provided at each end with ahead, only one of which is shown. in the drawing and is designated 3, this head preferably having the form of a housing. The head 3 is attached to the head at the opposite end of the ,reel (not shown) in any suitable manner as by means of one or more cross bars or spacers designated 4. Journaled in the reel frame and extending thereacross from end to end or head to head is a line spool 5 on which the fishing line is adapted to be wound, and from which the line isunwound or paid, off during the casting opera;- tion, the line being designated 5. The line spool 5is carried by a spool shaft 7 which is rotatable therewith and extends through the head 3 of the reel frame in which the shaft is journaled in a Keyed to the shaft I, or otherwise attached thereto is a pinion 9 which meshes with another pinion I0 fixed to the inner end of a crank shaft or winding shaft II, said shaft I I. extending outwardly through theouter end of the head 3 and being journaled in a suitable bearing I2 carried by the head. Attached to the outer end of the shaft I I is a crank I! having the usual crank handles I4, I4 extend ing therefrom at its opposite ends in the usual manner.

It is to be understood that the details of the reel construction as above described are not essential to the present invention, and are given merely for purposes of illustration of one practical application of my invention.

Disposed within the head 3 and fixed to the spool shaft 1 inwardly of the pinion 9 is a brake drum [5. If desired, both the brake drum l and the pinion 9 may be keyed to the spool shaft responsive to upward and downward movements 1 by a common key It, or they may be attached separately if desired. Extending about the brake drum I5 is a flexible brake band H, s'aiiiband having one or more (preferably one and a half) turns about 'the drum re. The 'brake band is preferably made; of spring steel or bronzeorether suitable materiarand is loosely wound about the brake drum. One end of the brake band ll bent into the form of an eye, as at 18, and is anchored to a post l9 which is carried by 'a'blo'ok or plate 29 which is attached to the inside face "of theouter wall of the head "3. 'For convenience, the post 19 may have threaded engagement ith theb'lock or'plate 2 0, and its other end is tn-read eruy engaged with a nut 21 which serves to clamp the hired end of the brake band i! to the post. The opposite or free end of the brake n is lilgewise b'ent into the form of an eye, as at 2 2, wiiich-engagesthrough the eye 23 on one end oi a link 'ihe'epposite end of the link 2 is also bent into'the *form than eye, as at 25, which engages over an eccentric pin 25 extending inwardly from the inner end of "a short shaft 21 which is iotataloly i'i'lounted in the block 2 B and extends therethr'ough and through the outerwall iii *the reel head 3 to the outside'of the head.

Fixed to the outerend of the shaft 21 by'means of a screw 28 is a washer or cap plate 29 which serves, together with the head 38 on theo'pposite end of the shaft "27, to prevent axial "movement of the shaft 2? in th'e block 20, but allowing'free rotation thereof. l q

Clampedbetween the head of thescrew28 and the washer or cap 29 is 'a'n'e'ye 3! formed on one end of a brake actuating arm 32, said am 'ex-'- tending -forwardly to the front side'of the reel;

It will be seen from the foregoing "that the brake actuating arm 32 is rigidly attached to the -sh'aft 2? for rotation therewith, the shaft-TI aet- J 'ing as a pivot for pivotal movementofthe arm 32 in an upward and downward direction. To "allow for such movement, the arm *is curved "downwardly so as to clear the bearing cap 33'o' f "the spool'shaft' bearing 8, beyonu'whi'chtnearm 7' 3'2 curves upwardly so that 'it normally engages the under side of the crank shaft bearing 1 2 when the brake isin a releasedcondition. Beyond the crank shaft, the arm 32 conti'nuesin a more or less horizontal'direction to a point somewhat be- "'ineans not shown) so that the 'line'will bcwouhd l'evel-onthe spool. "However, my invention is ndt "limited to use With'iels equipped "with 'self leviof the brake actuating arm 32. Attached to the eccentric pin 34 is one end of a coil spring 35, the-opposite end of which is anchored to one of "the screws '36 which serve to attach the reel head 3 to the cross bars 4 of the reel frame.

As will be seen from reference to Figure 1 of the drawing, the eccentric pin 34 is so positioned on the washeror cap 29 that when the brake actuating arm 32 i'sfin its raise'd'or brake-releasing position, the eccentric 'pin 'lies slightly to the left'o'f an imaginary line joining the central axis =of the shaft 21"a'nd the center of the screw 36 to which the opposite end of the spring anchored. The end-of the spring 35 which is connected to the eccentric pin '34 is offset and curved around thescre'wfla as indicated at 3! so that the center line of the spring 35 passes very near the central axis of the shaft 2T Thus, when the parts of the brake mechanism are in the-full-line posi tions'as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing, corre -'spond-ing to the released condition of the brake, thesprin'g 35 has li'ttleor no effect upon the shaft 21, and consequently upon the brake actuating aid-r132. Consequently, very little tension on the line '6 is requiredtoholdthe brake actuating-air '32 in its brake-releasing position.

O'nt'heother'hand, should any slack occur or tend to occur'in the line tithe brake actuating arm will'm'o've downward (in a clockwise direc- *tio'n) i'es'por'isi-ve to the slight pull exerted by the spring 35 which'is just suf'ficiently off center with relation to the shaft2l at the start of the brake application, 'ast'o cause'theecceritric'pin 3d, and ecn'sequenfl the shaft 211, tos'hift in a clockwise direction. A'sthe clockwise'mo'vement of the e'c centric pin -3 continues, the spring 5' will be thrown *more and more off center, thereby'increasing the "torque created by the spring and 'te'ndingto rotate the shaft 21 in a clockwi'se'direction, as "viewe'd'in Figure 1. This clockwise rotation ofthe shaft 27 causes the eccentric pin Z'Benthe inner endof the shaft to also rotate or shift in a clockwise direction, thereby exerting a pun-on the link 2'4 'ooiin'ecteclto the brake band "-l! and 'caus'ingtliebrakehand to be contracted -a' out the brake drum l5, applying the brake. Due to "the change in the position of the center line orthe" spring 35 as "the brake actuating arm 32 moves downward 'in a clockwise direction, causing the spring to "move farther and farther outwardly'awayfromthecentral axis of the shaft zL' the braking 'forc'e'o'r effect produced by the spring will be "directly proportional to the movement of the brake actuating arm. In other words, the-torquecn the-shaft 2'iincreases' as thefsha'ft anclthe brake actuating farm 32 are "s ftedirl a clockwise direction from the brake :"r sed or-off position; The initial torque necessary to 'rotate -"the "shaft 21 and apply the kirake need be "only sufiici'ent to overcome the Iri'ctionofthe partsof the 'brak'e mechanism. In all2- positions'of'thebrake'arm and the brake armshaft 21 the torque; caused by the spring 3% acting .on the brake'arm "shaft, need "be only slightly greater thanthetorquerequired to apply the=brake in any give'n 'positi'on'ofthe brake armv This has the effect of requiring only a slight forceongthe brakearm'tomove it toward the off position from any position of the brake arm. This effect is established by the arrangement of the spring and the eccentric pin 3t relative to the central axis of the shaft 21, as previously described.

Due to the construction and operation as above described, the brake is fully automatic and operates smoothly, and only a very slight tension on the line is required to release the brake. A slight slack in the line, or if the line stops, causes the brake to be automatically applied with sufficient force to slow the reel spoo1 down or stop the spool before the line tangles or back-lashes. Since the parts of the brake mechanism are preferably made of metal and may be lubricated, water in the reel will have no detrimental effect on the operation of the brake.

While the spring 35 has been shown in the drawing at the outside of the reel head it will be understood that this spring and the eccentric pin 36 may be arranged inside the head 3 if preferred, where it will be fully protected and outof-the-way. If preferred, the tension spring 35 may be replaced by a compression spring to obtain the same result, in which event, the eccentric pin 34- must be located on the opposite side of the axis of the shaft 21. Also, instead of applying the braking effect directly to the line spool shaft 1, the same result can be obtained by applying the brake to the crank shaft H. While the use of a flexible brake band is preferred, the same general arrangement of the brake actuating mechanism can be applied to shoe type brakes.

As previously mentioned, the flexible brake band I! is preferably made of spring steel or spring bronze or other suitable springy material. When the brake actuating arm 32 is in the brake releasing position, the band H is sufficiently loose to permit free rotation of the brake drum l5, and consequently the line spool 5. As the line is running out or paying off from the spool 5, the braking force applied by the band if will be much greater than when the line is being rewound or retrieved. This is due to the fact that the brake band I! is wound upon the brake drum IS in such a direction that it tends to contract automatically when it engages the drum l5 during the unwinding or running out of the line. On the other hand, when the line is being rewound or retrieved, the rotation of the brake drum in the opposite direction tends to cause the brake band to release, with the result that the brake mechanism has little or no braking effect during the rewinding operation. This action just described is therefore in the nature of a self-energizing or servo action.

While the specific details of the invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a fishing reel, a frame, a shaft rotatably mounted in the frame, a line spoo1 mounted on the shaft and fixed thereto, a brake drum also mounted on the shaft and fixed thereto, a flexible brake band embracing the drum and having one end. anchored to the frame, a second shaft rotatably mounted in the frame and carryin an eccentric pin at one end thereof which is operatively connected to the opposite end of the brake band aforesaid, a brake actuating arm fixed to the second shaft and pivotally movable in opposite directions about the axis of rotation of said latter shaft, said arm being extended transversely across the front of the reel frame in spaced relation thereto and parallel to the axis of the line spoo1, with the arm adapted to normally rest upon the upper side of the line when leading forwardly from the spool, a second eccentric pin carried by the second shaft, and a tension spring having one end connected to the second eccentric pin and its opposite end anchored to the reel frame.

2. A fishing reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the second eccentric pin and the point of anchorage of the opposite end of the spring normally respectively lie on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the second shaft when the brake band and the actuating arm are in their brake releasing positions.

3. A fishing reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the second eccentric pin and the point of anchorage of the opposite end of the spring normally respectively lie on opposite sides of the axis of rotation of the second shaft when the brake band and the actuating arm are in their brake releasing positions, with the center line of the spring lying in an imaginary plane intersecting the secand shaft closely adjacent to the central axis thereof.

1. A fishing reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible brake band extends about the brake drum for at least one full turn.

5. A fishing reel as defined in claim 1, wherein the flexible brake band extends about the brake drum for at least one full turn, and the direction of winding of the band from its end which is anchored to the frame being the same as the direction of rotation of the line spoo1 during un- Windingof the line therefrom.

6. In a fishing reel control mechanism, a fishing reel including a spool for fishing line, a brake drum connected for rotation with the spool, a brake member mounted adjacent the brake drum and constructed and arranged to resiliently urge itself toward brake released position, a control lever mounted to contact the line and movable in accordance with tension in the line, means connecting the control lever with the brake member to enable movement of the control member to move the brake member to brake engaged position and means indepndent of said line for normally urging said control lever toward brake engaged position including mechanism providing a decreasing force on said lever as said lever is moved toward brake released position.

ROBERT L. ALLEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 843,514 Baumgartel Feb. 5, 190'? 1,398,429 Harradine Nov. 29, 1921 1,539,646 Catucci May 26, 1925 1,609,684 Bellow Dec. 7, 1926 2,059,763 Wenzel Nov. 3, 1936 2,083,927 Sinex June 15, 1937 2,205,641 Wilson June: 25, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 345,872 Great Britain Apr. 2, 1931 509,505 Germany Oct. 9, 1930 38,168 France Jan. 13, 1931 Addition to No. 579,018

645,017 France Oct. 18, 1928 

